Rialto runs with Studiocanal titles in U.S.

Three-year theatrical distribution deal covers some 2,000 films

Rialto Pictures has signed a three-year agreement with Studiocanal to handle the U.S. theatrical distribution of more than 2,000 international titles owned by the French media company.

Rialto has already begun releasing titles under the new deal, including a reissue of Paul Verhoeven’s original “Total Recall,” which opened at New York’s Film Forum a week after the national release of the new remake. Rialto is also releasing Claude Sautet’s “Max et les Ferrailleurs” and plans to release a new restoration of Marcel Carne’s “Port of Shadows” this fall.

Rialto, in association with the BFI and Park Circus Films, is planning a 2013 release of “The Hitchcock Nine” – nine Alfred Hitchcock silent films recently restored by the BFI. Rialto has theatrical rights to five of those titles from the Studiocanal library and Park Circus has the other four under license from Granada.

Studiocanal topper Olivier Courson said in a statement, “Rialto has already been our partner for the past fifteen years, brilliantly marketing re-releases of many of the jewels in our library: Renoir’s ‘Grand Illusion,’ Carol Reed’s ‘The Third Man,’ Godard’s ‘Contempt,’ Resnais’ ‘Last Year at Marienbad,’ Kurosawa’s ‘Ran,’ and many others. Their phenomenal release of Melville’s ‘Army of Shadows’ in 2006 gave it a new life worldwide. No one knows this very specialized marketplace better, so we think it makes perfect sense that Rialto should represent our library in the U.S.”

Rialto Pictures was founded in 1997 by Bruce Goldstein. He was joined a year later by Adrienne Halpern as partner.